


The People You Know

by ShikasaiNara



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26263645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShikasaiNara/pseuds/ShikasaiNara
Summary: Eren has disappeared from Armin's life, and there's no trace. Will Eren come back? Will he even be the same? Will Armin forgive him? There are so many questions, and the only way to find out is by reading this story.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Levi/Erwin Smith, Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart, Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	The People You Know

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for choosing to read this story, it is a part of the eremincollab2020 event on twitter. Please check out the amazing works of art by the other creators with that hashtag! I hope you enjoy the story, and thank you for reading!

Armin  
I used to talk to Eren about the ocean all the time, and he would listen to every word, and stare at me in awe like a child seeing his favorite toy, or candy. 

“Armin, it’s time to go!” Mikasa shouted to me, bringing me back to the present.

I haven’t seen Eren in about eight months, and it feels like my heart is missing along with him. I put on my best fake smile, and walked back to my friends and family gathered in one spot on the beach. Everyone is smiling, and laughing, enjoying the freedom of this new world. I wish I could as well, but without Eren I can’t swim, and I’m sinking further into the abyss of the ocean. 

“Armin, I know it’s hard, but we have to continue living.” Mikasa said, putting her hands around me, and wrapping me in a warm hug.

My eyes began to sting, and soon the tears came falling down, and I heard Mikasa cry as well as we held each other for comfort. We stopped by our favorite cafe on our way home to pick up some tea for our dads, and get us some coffee for the day. We picked up the tea our dad loved, and walked up to the counter to order our drinks. 

“Hello, welcome to Jitters, my name is Eren, what can I get you?” The familiar voice asked, eyes on the register, not paying attention to the people in front of him. 

Mikasa, and I were frozen, mouth agape, staring at the man we thought we had lost forever. I instinctively reached for him, completely in shock, placing my hand on his cheek, causing him to startle, and finally look at me. 

“Eren, where have you been?” I asked, and I knew my voice was shaking, and tears were streaming down my face, but all I cared about was the fact that he was here in front of me, in the flesh and blood. He placed his hand over mine, and I saw tears well up in his eyes. 

“Armin, is it really you?” He asked me, touching my hand, face, and arms as if he thought I was an illusion. 

“Hey! There are other people here!” A customer behind us shouted. 

“I’m sorry, of course.” He removed his hands from my body, and shook his head as if to erase an etch a sketch, wiping his tears away violently. 

“What can I get you guys?” He asked, seeming impatient, and avoiding eye contact. 

“Just this tea.” Mikasa slammed money on the counter, grabbed my arm, and led me out the door. 

“Mikasa, what are you doing?! Eren is right there! Let me go!” I yelled, trying to pull free of her grip, but failed. She stopped, and turned to me, looking me over, shaking her head, and continued to lead me away from him. 

“He’s not the Eren we-no, he’s not the Eren you knew, Armin. Wherever he was, whatever he experienced, it’s changed him. I don’t want to see you hurt anymore.” She finished talking, and pulled me into a tight hug. 

“I just want him back, Mikasa, but he feels so far away. I-I want to take him to the beach, show him the ocean, and talk about, and show him everything we ever dreamed of. It hurts, it hurts so much, and I don’t know what to do.” I sobbed into her shoulder, and she rubbed small circles around my back, shushing me. We walked home in silence, keeping our heads down, and afraid to make a sound. 

“Dads, we’re home!” Mikasa shouted, and we were both shocked to find both of them in the living room waiting for us. 

“Where is he?” One of our dads, Levi, abruptly asked. 

“Levi, please. Kids, can you have a seat, please?” Our other dad, Erwin, politely asked, motioning to the couch. We both took a seat, facing our dads, thinking of every possible reason for this encounter. 

“We know Eren’s back, where is he?” Levi asked, sitting forward. I was staring at the ground, afraid to look my dads in the eyes, and lie to them, because when it came to Eren my dads-especially Levi-did not care for him, but I did, very much so. 

“Jitters, he’s working there, and something about him seemed off. I’m sorry, Armin, but they need to know, and his family, they deserve to know.” Mikasa finished speaking, and I stared at her in shock. 

“I’ll go call Hange, and Moblit, stay here.” Erwin ran off to call them, they had adopted Eren and his sister when they were nine, and a part of me felt guilty that I would have kept this from them, they suffered the most. 

“What are you guys going to do?” I asked, feeling an overwhelming range of emotions. 

“That’s up to his parents, but I don’t want you guys going to see him.” Levi stated, giving me a pointed look, and I nodded.

I could hear them talking to people for hours as I laid in my bed, thoughts occupied by Eren. His hair had grown more, he had it pulled back in a bun, and he’d gotten bigger overall. He seemed frightened, and out of it when I saw him, and when we spoke briefly. I couldn’t get him off my mind, so I put some warm clothes on, and snuck out my window. I found myself walking by Jitters, and noticed a figure in the alley, staring in my direction. The next thing I knew, I was in the alleyway, pressed against, and facing Eren. 

“It really is you.” He whispered, then suddenly he pressed his lips to mine, and I felt myself melt into the kiss. 

He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue around the inside of my mouth, searching, and claiming every inch of my mouth. Pressing me against the wall, he began to explore my body with his curious hands, pressing small kisses, and bites around my neck. 

“I’ve missed you so much, Armin.” He breathed into my ear, grinding our bodies together. “I’ve missed you too, Eren. I need to know what happened, where did you go?” I moaned out, but he suddenly stopped our impromptu make out session, and once again wouldn’t look me in the eyes. 

“It was nothing.” He softly spoke, scuffing his shoe on the concrete. “Obviously it wasn’t! Look at you, you won’t even look me in the eyes! What happened to you?! Your parents did nothing but look for you everyday! Your sister won’t come out of the house! Mikasa lost her best friend! Everyone was so worried, and searched everywhere! And I lost the love of my life! How do you think I feel?! The only person who knows everything about me, the one who makes me a better person, the only one to truly understand me, how do you think I feel after losing the most important person in my life?!” I screamed at him, all the anger, betrayal, hurt, and guilt came spilling out. 

“I didn’t want to leave you guys! It hurts for me too! I’ve seen things I can never unsee! Things that will forever haunt me! I’m not the same person you knew, I’ve changed! I hate myself, I just want to disappear, and leave behind no trace of my existence. We’re not meant to be, Armin. We’re too far apart, too broken.” He screamed at first, but then quietly said the rest. 

I couldn’t believe it, the man I love, and thought I knew was now a stranger to me. “So, that’s it? After everything we’ve been through, you just want to walk away? 

“I can’t believe you. What’s it like to be on the other side, Eren?” He didn’t respond, so I walked away, afraid of what would happen if I stayed. 

I went home, got in my pajamas, and after done trying, got some sleep. I woke up to Mikasa shaking me back and forth, telling me to wake up. 

“I’m tired, and it’s the weekend, so leave me alone.” I brushed her off, shoving my head back in my blanket. 

“Hange, Moblit, and Evelyn are here, and Eren’s with them.” She said, and I shot up, running down the stairs. 

She was right, they were sitting on the couch, sipping some tea dads had made for them. What was he doing here, and with them? I ran back upstairs, got dressed in some decent clothing, and went back down stairs to see what was happening. 

“I’m going out. Annie wanted a day together, good luck.” Mikasa was dressed in a short black and red dress with a fluffy skirt, and the necklace Annie had given her when they started going out. 

I was about to protest, afraid to face Eren without her, but she gave me a pleading look, and I couldn’t make her stay, that was selfish. 

“Have fun.” I smiled at her, offering some kind of strength, and she nodded, walking out the door to meet Annie. 

“Armin, why don’t you sit down?” Erwin asked, patting the seat between Levi, and him. 

I sat down facing Eren, afraid of the rejection I’d see, but instead I saw a scared, depressed, and damaged man looking at me with eyes filled with sorrow. I couldn’t help the tears starting to fall down my face, and I instinctively rushed to him, pulling him in my tight embrace. He began to sob into my shoulder, and began to tell us what he had experienced. 

“Zeke had told me there was a way to break the curse of Ymir, but we had to meet a woman in Marley, so that’s where we went. When we got there I was locked up in some kind of internment camp, and kept restrained. Eventually they brought a woman to me who was also restrained unless Zeke was with her, she was very small, smaller than Levi, had black mid-length wavy hair that almost covered her hair, blue eyes, but when they made her speak they turned purple, and they said her name was Ymir Fritz. They told her to show me my future, and so she did, she showed me everything. I would die very soon, you guys would experience great pain, and suffering, my family would be imprisoned, and Armin would watch me die, and experience an unspeakable death that I wish I could unsee. She tried to whisper something to me, but was quickly quieted, and dragged out of my cell. I spent about six months there, getting random visits from Zeke, and Ymir who would just show me things. One day Zeke snuck in my cell, Ymir in tow, and proceeded to tell us that he was getting us out. He somehow convinced one of the generals to fly us out. Once we got here I couldn’t face any of you, so Zeke found us a place to stay, and I got a job to pay the bills. I haven’t seen Ymir since we arrived, and Zeke disappeared not too long ago. I’m so sorry I hurt you guys, and I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, and will do.” He sobbed out the last sentence, clinging onto me as if his life depended on it. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, was any of the stuff he was told even true? 

“Eren, we’re just happy that you’re here with us, and safe.” Hange tearfully said, rubbing his back, and then pulling him into a hug with Moblit, and Evelyn. We watched as they all cried, and apologized for things that weren’t their fault. A couple hours later we were making dinner for everyone while Eren settled back in with his family. 

“Um, Mr. Ackerman, can I have a moment alone with Armin, please?” Eren asked, anxiety wafting off of him. My dad nodded, and told us we could speak in my room, so we walked up to my room, and sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. 

“Armin, I want to apologize, not only for last night, but for everything I’ve put you through. I understand if you want nothing to do with me anymore, but just know that I love you, and will always love, and treasure you.” He finishes speaking, and he looks like he’s waiting for the worst news of his life. I grab his hand, and squeeze it, looking him in the eyes, and brushing his loose hair out of his face, he looks surprised. 

“Eren, I will never give up on you, and don’t apologize for what happened to you. I love, and treasure you, and I want you in my life as my partner. We both said things we didn’t mean, and regret yesterday, so let’s both apologize, and put it behind us. What do you say to that?” I ask, and give him a sweet, gentle smile. He smiles, and nods, and we both apologize at the same time, causing us both to laugh. 

“Do you want to lay down for a bit?” I ask, a blush creeping up on my face. 

“That would be nice, but could you, um, hold me?” Eren asked, looking to the side, and rubbing the back of his neck. I pull him close, laying us both down on the bed, and wrap my arms around him, both of us relaxing at the feeling of each other’s touch. We soon find ourselves fast asleep, and for the first time in forever, we both sleep peacefully in each other’s arms. I woke up to Eren talking in his sleep, and the sun seeping through the curtains. 

“The nine titans.” Eren whispered in his sleep, a complex expression on his face. Suddenly his eyes bolted open, and he sat up gasping for air, and frantically searching the room we were in. 

“Eren, it’s okay. I’m here, you’re okay. No one can hurt you anymore.” I whispered, and slowly approached him, pulling him in my arms. He settled back down after half an hour, then he pulled me into his lap, and wrapped me in his strong, warm arms. I felt a blush creep up on my face, and Eren laughed. 

“We’ve known each other for too long for you to hide your blushes, Armin.” He said, and pressed a long, gentle kiss on my lips. 

“You just make me feel things no one else does.” I responded after our lips parted ways. He looked at me with such love, and tenderness in his eyes that I couldn’t look away. 

“You’re beautiful.” He said, running his hand through my hair, and placing a gentle hand on my cheek. I buried my face in his chest, embarrassed by his compliment, and Eren once again laughed wholeheartedly. Eventually we got dressed, and headed down stairs where both of our families awaited us. 

“Are you feeling any better?” Hange ran up to Eren, Moblit, and Evelyn in tow, and pulled him into a tight hug, and Eren returned the gesture, basking in their warmth, and comfort. 

“It’s nice to finally see you again, Eren.” Mikasa walked to him with Annie by her side, and gave him a warm hug, with a sweet, happy smile formed on her face. 

Eren talked to everyone, and stayed close to his family, spending every second he could with them. Evelyn, and him talked a lot, and seemed as close as ever, Hange, and Moblit wouldn’t let him out of their sight, staying by his side, and being the loving, protective parents they were. Levi, and Erwin even talked to him, offering their comfort, and support, and Mikasa, and Annie caught up with him, laughing, and reminiscing about old times, which brought a smile to my face. Things seemed to be looking up for him, and I was extremely happy that he was back. 

A few weeks passed, Eren was still getting back into the swing of things, and he was still struggling, but everyday he got a little better. I decided to take him on a date to the beach so we could see the ocean together, like we had dreamt about. 

“Why am I having to cover my eyes again?” Eren asked, smiling nonetheless. 

“Just wait, it’s a surprise.” I said, I giggled as he stumbled in the sand. I escorted him towards the shore, where the tides rocked back and forth, causing some water to splash on our feet. 

“Ahh.” Eren yelped, and jumped back a little, holding onto my arm. 

“It’s okay, now open your eyes.” I laughed, and waited for him to see the stunning ocean. 

He slowly opened his eyes, suspicious at first, but once they were open, and locked onto the magnificent ocean in front of us, his eyes went wide, and tears began to well up into his eyes. 

“Eren, are you okay?” I panicked, fearing I had upset him, but he just looked at me, smiling, and pulling me into a tight hug. 

“It’s so beautiful, just like you said. You were so right, it’s amazing, just like you.” He said, head placed by my neck, and emotion filling his every word. 

“I’m glad you like it so much.” I said smiling, enjoying, and leaning into his embrace. 

“I love you, Armin. Never forget that, I will always love you, and I’m never leaving you again.” He said, pulling me out of the hug to look him in the eyes, and I could see the honesty in them. 

“Eren, I love you too! I have and always will, so don’t do anything like before.” I felt the tears begin to fall, and Eren pulled me back into his arms. 

“Never again, I will never do anything to jeopardize our love, and relationship again. I promise, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He soothingly said, rubbing small circles on my back, and comforting me with his words. 

We stayed like that for a while, watching the waves crash in the ocean, and feeling the breeze hit us, it felt right. For a moment I thought I saw a small woman with black hair standing by the shore, looking off into the ocean, and at one point she turned towards our direction, and smiled. I looked away to see if Eren had noticed, but he was just smiling as he stared off into the ocean, so I looked back, but she was gone. I wasn’t sure if she was real, but I put it aside for the time being. Things were going to be okay, as long as we had each other, that was for sure. People can go from people you know, to people you don’t, but you can get to know, and fall in love with that person again.


End file.
